Barren
by MetaphoricalTears
Summary: Found with no memories but her name, Kagome tries to unravel the mystery of her past and her mental stability when Magatsuhi tries to influence her daily life. Along the way she gets affiliated with the ninjas of Konohakagure, including the Uchiha Prodigy, Uchiha Itachi, who's battling demons of his own. Can they help each other or will they destroy the other? Read and find out!
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This is a start of a new journey and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing this! Please excuse any grammatical errors.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha or Naruto, and neither do I own the quote by Kait Rokowski.**

* * *

><p><em>A wise man once said, 'nothing ever ends poetically. It ends and we turn it into poetry. All that blood was never once beautiful. It was just red'. Likewise, her end was just as tragically poetic as it was perceived. But to her, drenched in the blood of her most loved kit, she only saw the crimson pools of her enemy's essence begging to be released. As the merciful miko that she was, she granted them their unsaid wish, seeking retribution for the damage caused. <em>

_The day of her end arrived peacefully enough. A bright day, chirping birds, no clouds staining the blue sky and the sun high up shining in all its glory. There was no room for wrong or negativity. No dark aura emitting from the corners of their peripheral vision. No youkais slithering around in the shadows like it once used to. Not even a single sniff of a pelted wolf declaring sweet nothings above everyone else. It was peaceful. _

_It was the day after their victory._

_Not much was lost. The world was rid of the evil hanyou, the jewel safe, and curses lifted. Her sacrifices were certainly not gone without reward. She had her red-clad hanyou by her side - incarnation put back to rest - and her fellow monk and slayer companions readying impatiently for their marriage. Even the dried up magic well bowed to her wishes, opening up a portal allowing her, and only her, to cross between her birth era and her chosen era at will. _

_But where was her precious fox kit? _

_They say keep your friends close, but your enemy closer. If only she knew who her real enemy's were, then what occurred later would not have happened at all. _

_Half a day was gone, her focus spent on searching for her beloved kit. The inu-hanyou was away for kami knew what reason, she could not possibly ask her soon to be wed friends, and so she set out by herself. She searched high and low, from one end of the village to the other and still no sign of her kit. But then she came upon the cave that once housed the injured human part of the evil hanyou. She heard voices; two very familiar voices and the soft whimper of her kit. _

_Sliding closer, cloaking her presence, she came upon her inu-hanyou locked in heated passion with whom was supposed to be her rested incarnation, and her sweet kit chained and gagged at the back of the cave. Angered, and betrayed, she stepped forth in vigour. Her power raged, her body trembled, tears leaking from the corner of her eyes, but she dared not to crumble in their traitorous presence. _

_However, she had not accounted for their arrogance. Nor their daring action. _

_Not a second passed, and an ordinary sword that one transformed for her safety, was thrust through the kit before her eyes. _

_She saw red._

_She only saw red. _

_Colour faded from her vision, leaving only red in the midst of grey. Her body was not her own, her mind blank, and her aching heart only yearned for reparation. She moved on instinct. Bringing down her wrath with skills unknown and unimaginable power she had never learnt to use. _

_Slice, duck, stab, jump, purify. _

_It was a pattern and a plethora of things not comprehensible. But she did not stop; she couldn't, not even after they were dead. Her body was cold despite the crackling fire burning in her veins. She felt numb. _

_The day remained as peaceful as it was hours ago, but she was not at peace. With her kit in her arms, her light died with him and the jewel she sacrificed her years for, hummed a lullaby for its broken mistress. _

_But really, there was nothing poetic at all. _

. . .

. .

.

"Well…that's certainly an interesting scroll." Sakura muttered. She flicked her bubble-gum pink hair out of her eyes, sighing as the scorching heat produced more sweat on her forehead. "No names, no nothing, just a random parchment with a random tale of a woman. Though kind of sad."

"Quit wasting time. We're not here for a fairy tale. Get the forbidden scroll and let's go. Kakashi-sensei and the dobe are already waiting."

Sakura sighed. Catching a glimpse at her stoic teammate, she wondered what her younger self saw in him enough to be part of his obsessive fan girls.

"Must be the hormones." She whispered.

Sasuke glowered. "What?"

"Nothing!" Sakura squealed in triumph as she came across their target scroll. "Got it!"

"Hn." Sasuke nodded approvingly. He opened up the windows and jumped out expecting Sakura to follow right after. But she wasn't jumping behind him when he landed. Growling, he hissed for her. "Sakura…"

Said woman winced. She quickly pocketed the scroll she was reading not too long ago and jumped out the window with the forbidden scroll in hand. Waving it around to scroll, she smiled apologetically.

"Sorry, dress got caught between the cracks."

Not bothering to point out her obvious lie, Sasuke held back from rolling his eyes in annoyance. In the far distance they could hear and uproar building. Knowing that their presence was found, Sasuke quickly took to the tall buildings with Sakura following closely behind. They hid between the chimneys, jumping from roof to roof. No sooner they were out of the village and into the forests.

Sakura sighed a sigh of relief. "Mission, half-way completed." She announced with betrayed merit. The glaring sun was a major downer on her attitude. And like always, Sasuke chose to ignore her and continued his speedy pace whizzing through he forest.

By the time they both arrived at the meeting point with the rest of their team, they only found Kakashi lazing on a tree with his nose attached to his favourtite orange book.

The pervert sensei - check.

The blonde idiot – missing.

"Kakashi-sensei, where's Naruto?"

"Well, you two took your sweet time, so he went on an endeavour of his own. This also gave me the chance to read Jiraya's newest Icha Icha Paradise!"

Sakura dropped her head into her palms. Sasuke brooded by the furthest tree and she could not help but question how they all lasted together as team for the past few years. In fact, the only reason they were still a team was because she was still a chuunin. Naruto and Sasuke graduated to jounin two years ago, but since she was practicing as a medic-nin apprentice under Tsunade, their busty hokage, she saw no reason to further into jounin, or as Sasuke would blatantly like to say, her lacking in taijustu was at fault for their continued team.

Sakura, hiding under the refuge of the large trees' shade, prayed to the Kami's that whatever Naruto was doing, he didn't suddenly forget their speedy mission objective and wonder off aimlessly. It wasn't long before her prayers were answered.

"Ahhh, that felt good, I've been holding it in for a quite a while now." Naruto exclaimed, lost in his own wonder, as he walked into the clearing. His finger busied on fixing his clothes, straightening and pulling them into place.

Kakashi sighed, putting away his little erotica, whilst Sakura and Sasuke remained eerily stern.

Scratching the back of his head in confusion, Naruto titled his head and asked, "I understand the teme brooding, but why Sakura?"

Never would have anyone imagined that the famous phrase meant for a certain pervert would be directed at Naruto instead.

"You're late!" Sakura stacked, her arms thrust out angrily with a finger pointed directly at the culprit. She made sure, though, that she didn't leave the safety of the shadows, so however angry her tone was, Naruto couldn't take the kunoichi seriously enough.

"Ahhhhhhh-hahaha! Sakura, you're so funny!"

Said woman was not amused. _This bastard_, she thought, her inner-self growling through gnashed teeth. If only she could wrap her dangerously dainty hands round his neck and squeeze the life out of him.

"In case you have forgotten, but we are in the middle of a mission," she paused to take in a deep breath, never a good sign. "SO STOP FUCKING AROUND!"

While the adrenaline was still pumping through her veins, she desperately wanted to avert some of that towards Kakashi too, having holding some responsibility for Naruto slacking off, but out of some miraculous respect, she didn't dare string her curses towards him, but instead hurled them all to Naruto.

"Anti-shinobi villages are no joke. While Sasuke and I were risking our lives, how dare you fucking take a leak! You stupid, idiotic, shit bricking fu- HEY! Don't just walk away! HEY! WAIT!"

… And like every lecture Sakura seemed to spew often, the natural reaction from her team was to simply ignore and walk away. As far as Sakura did not know, they were currently working on another escape tactic, a tactic so crucial, they knew it without the need for words.

Tem seven continued their journey back to Konohagakure without any interruptions and fuss. The heat was still strong, but the quick and steady pace compensated with a cool breeze. However, that all changed once they crossed Konohagakure borders.

Naruto came to sudden stop when he felt an invisible pull. The others stopped, Sakura ready to start her screaming, but Kakashi beat her to it.

"What's wrong, Naruto?" He asked, perched on a different tree, his only eye uncovered showing concern.

"Tsk," Sasuke crossed his arms, "In need of another leak?"

When they got no reply from the usual jubilant and loud Naruto, the seriousness dawned in on them.

Sakura hopped onto the tree Naruto stood on. "Hey, what's wrong?" she took a tentative step forward, her hand reaching out for his shoulder, but before she could touch him, he was gone.

Alarmed, Sakura shrieked. "Kakashi-sen-"

"Follow him!" Kakashi quickly snapped. Their faces were lined with worry, even Sasuke's.

Naruto himself was fighting a losing battle.

_Come_

He heard it clearly. But the others could not. Why?

_Come_

He tried to tell them. He shouted, screamed, anything, but no one listened. They just stared at him with twisted looks of worry.

_Come_

No. No. No! He did not want to go. Why wasn't his body listening to him? Even Kyuubi was strangely quiet and not harping like he usually did.

_Come_

Where was this voice coming from? Who was this lady?

_Come_

He came upon a lake. Fog shadowed the area only letting bits and pieces of sunrays shine through. The luminescent only seemed to make the lake glow golden. His body moved in its own accord as it moved towards the edge of the lake. Watching his reflection, Naruto gasped, _he_ gasped, but his physical body did not.

From a distance, he could hear the subtle movements of his teammates. Their soft shouts of his name vibrating through his flesh. In that moment, he had reached a cosmic sensation. The air cool to the touch, but heated once it seemed into his skin.

_Come_

By now he had accepted and come to terms with the voice. Fighting seemed to be a lost cause, so, with his mind made up, he decided to follow. But of course, the great shinobi that he was, he remained prudent, not letting his suspicion leave him. But he wasn't moving. Where was he supposed to go?

The tug he felt early pulled harder. Towards the lake- _no, into the lake._ Peering deeper, Nartuo reeled back in fear. But only unconsciously, his body had yet to move.

Deep into the dark waters there was a woman. She wasn't drowning, but neither was she surfacing. She was stationed in the middle, floating. Her long hair was curled around her protectively, her clothes flowing with a calm rhythm.

_Save me_

And like a spell broken, Naruto quickly lunged into the water. His arms stroke forward with vigil, legs motor boating behind him in earnest. He may have been confused just moments before but he wasn't now. That tug he felt earlier was so strong, so real, he felt it right into his bones and he _knew_ he had to save her. Why? That could be answered at a latter time, but for now, he had to get to her.

Arms far and stretched, he wrapped it around her torso and with a strong kick, they both lurched upwards towards the awaiting surface.

The rest of the team seven panicked on the edge. They tried to peer through the waters, but it was too dark. The fog wasn't helping much either. Kakashi got into his stance and was about to perform a water jutsu, but Naruto broke the surface. He jumped out with heavy arms.

"Naru- who's that?"

"I…I don't know. But I had to save her. She called to me." Kakashi and Sasuke pondered on Naruto's words as Sakura fussed over the unconscious women.

Long raven hair stuck to her pale face and silk-kimono clad body. She had long lashes kissing her cheeks, a button nose and full pale pink lips. In her state she looked small- tiny. Vulnerable and unprotected. Like a damsel in distress.

Cheking her vital signs, Sakura, disturbed and quite relieved sighed as she relaxed into a seated position.

"She's breathing. Her pulse is stable; she's not showing any signs of sickness. Actually, she's not showing any signs of s drowning victim which is really weird, but it would be best if we got her out of these clothes."

Kakashi hummed.

"She's no civilian."

Sasuke commented after a moments pause. Everyone looked towards him. He had his sharingan activated and it was solely focused on the stranger. Kakashi followed suit.

"She has the same chakra channels as any other civilian, what makes you say she's not?" Kakashi questioned.

Shrugging, Sasuke deactivated the sharingan. "Just a feeling." Even thgouh Kakashi let it slide, he pondered on it. He may not give away a lot of his thoughts, but he did take into consideration his students opinion and if Sasuke believed that the woman was no civilian, so then there was a good reason why he thought so.

Naruto growled. "Whatever she is doesn't matter. I saved her, she's my responsibility. We can't leave her here!"

"Naruto, calm down. No one said we would leave her. So, just relax."

"Perhaps a near village she might be affiliated with." Kakashi said. His eyes did not remove itself from the woman, but he was quite aware of Naruto's growing ire. Not to mention the whisker he now spotted on his face. At Sakura and Sasuke's tensed bodies, it seemed they had noticed too.

"No!" Naruto snapped. "There are no villages. She has to come with us."

"Don't be stupid, dobe-"

"She comes with us."

A bit put off by the dark growl, Kakashi stepped forward with his sharingan still in place. He dropped down to Naruto's level, a safe distance away from the woman still in his arms.

"Is Kyuubi talking to you again?"

Naruto gasped, looking up. In that instant the whiskers faded and his blue eyes just blazed seconds before, blinked back into recognition.

"Wha-no. No! He's…he's quiet."

"Right." Kakashi nodded, not wanting to push the already agitated male. "Sakura, change her into dry clothes. We'll make our move right after, we've lost enough time as it is."

Instructions set out and demands met, team seven and the mysterious woman found in the lake headed towards Konohagakure.

* * *

><p><strong>How was it? Good for the first chapter? Please Review <strong>


	2. Chapter 2

**Barren.**

The thriving village of Konohagakure was just as normal as any other shinobi village.

You had your gossiping civilians crowding the market places and teahouses like old ladies discussing the latest bachelor for their daughters or sons. Then you had the ninjas surfing the roofs or shadows, and if they happened to be one of those poor, unfortunate sexy souls, they put their well-accumulated shinobi skills to work and avoided the fan girls. Now, the fan girls certainly struck up the 'run-for-you-life' feeling. On most accounts they were most swift, sneakier than any shinobi, and when they least expected it, the Konohagakure fan-guild united attacked.

Luckily for the very appealing, the police force was like hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. They left no table unturned, or crevices unchecked. And while most would perceive them has boisterous and unjust, they were merely misguided by the strictness from the head, Uchiha Fugaku, and he didn't discriminate, especially not when the village council civilian members were looking for every excuse to overthrow shinobi's. Not forgetting Danzo lurking around. Now, Danzo was the Root founder, and like any sane person would notice, he emitted nothing but bad vibes. He, along with his lackeys, made up the shady group of the Konohagakure population.

But alas, as village hierarchy goes, every shinobi village had a leader, and Konohagakure's Hokage – blonde, busty, and drop-dead bombshell – Senju Tsunade, was not your average leader. Along with being an alcoholic, maybe having some anger management issues, not forgetting the debates about her true age, she spiced up her paperwork filled life with classic wit as entertainment for anyone who entered her not-so-sacred premise. So it wasn't unusual when shinobi's flickered into her office for their mission report, but what was unusual was when team seven came bustling through her door with a crazed blonde and no pink in sight.

"Explain." Tsunade said, her tone not betraying any emotion. She fingered the drawer that kept her precious alcohol as she stared down Kakashi and Sasuke restraining Naruto by his arms as he kicked and growled.

Kakashi spoke. "Mission was a success, I would give you the written report and the scroll, but as you can see my hands are tied."

"…Continue."

"On our back we encountered," Kakashi searched for the right word, "A mishap…"

Tsunade nodded slowly, eyes not moving from the struggling Naruto. "Obviously."

Kakashi cleared his throat. "As I was saying, Naruto found a woman in a lake. We were compelled to bring her back along with us. Sakura is currently admitting her into the hospital."

And if that wasn't alerting enough, the next few words had her exploding. "You brought a stranger into my village?"

"…Naruto was determined to not let her go and since then he has been changing back and forth. Kyuubi's influence I suspected but when asked, he said Kyuubi was silent."

There was a pregnant pause aside from the animalistic sounds coming from Naruto. Tsunade released a long sigh. She suddenly looked very exhausted.

"Take me back! I want to go to her!" Naruto screamed. His eyes flickered from blue to tinged pink. He tried to break free and he could have, but that required full power and while he still had a bit of sanity in him, he didn't want to harm his friends. He was already having it bad with this clenching and unclenching feeling at the pit of his stomach.

"Naruto!" Tsunade bellowed. "Control yourself."

"You don't understand, you old hag! I have to go to her!"

"You know her?"

"No!"

"Then why?"

"I DON'T KNOW!"

Slamming her hands onto her desk, Tsunade stood up not caring when her chair fell fro the sudden move. The clattering sound of mettle meeting ground set a distinctive silence in the room. Even Naruto had calmed.

"Kakashi, Sasuke, take Naruto to isolation. I'll send Jiraiya to check his seals. In the meanwhile, Sasuke you will stay with Naruto. Kakashi inform Ibiki to keep this afternoon clear and come find me at the hospital. Go!"

She didn't wait to see them leave; instead she pulled open the drawer and took out the bottle of alcohol. This called for booze indeed. Pouring herself a glass, she drank the solution in one gulp.

"Shizune!" Her ever so attentive assistant appeared, but her disapproval look towards the bottle was not lost to Tsunade. So she did what she did best in that situation- she guised it. "Fucking idiot brought a stranger into Konohagakure. Deploy four ANBU's and send them to the hospital to meet me."

"Right away."

It was always the same darkness that haunted her. The same whispers in the shadows that ghosted through her ears. The same coldness, the same sting, the same touch of hell that belonged to her. Her name carved mockingly within the abyss and if she wasn't so traumatized, she'd laugh. Maybe it was her naivety, or her innocence, because whatever it was she was clearly not with favour despite fulfilling her destiny and ridding her world of Naraku.

Her fate and destiny had removed her one most precious child. And the reality of that matter did not do well with her.

She was back in the jewel. Magastuhi's deep chuckles resonated around her and through her. She shivered out of disgust and loss, but not fear. She couldn't bring herself to fear the dark soul that inhabited the jewel. Her biggest fear had already confronted her and she failed.

If she had a choice, she'd rather bury herself deep within a lake with her miserable mistakes.

_The little fox trusted you; jewel, and you could not save him?_

He taunted. Again and again and again. She hated that name he'd gotten accustomed to calling her. But she had no will to retaliate. Her mind tried to fight him off, but she was helpless. Only a miracle could save her this time.

_Even the shikon is powerless. _

And she knew that. She did. It was her fault after all. The loss of her kit and the jewels powerless state. Lost in bling rage seeking only red, she'd forgotten who she was and gave in. Her light that once shun so bright, now only flickered.

_Though I admire the shikon's loyalty towards you. It still wishes to save you, jewel. _

She didn't know why the jewel was so adamant on keeping her. She just wanted it to end. To forget. To not feel the emptiness weighing inside her. She didn't want to be here, floating away in the darkness, drowning in the depth of nothing.

Unfortunately for her, the Shikon had other plans. It believed and hoped, something she had forgone. So when the Shikon felt the brush of a familiar aura, it made sure she was aware. And by Kami was she aware.

Her need to grab hold onto that familiarity fuelled her. She was blinded, she knew, but she needed this. She needed to apologise, she needed to say goodbye- she wanted her kit back. She was so lost in amber hues that she didn't protect her kit.

Magatsuhi tried to drown her deeper, pull her down into his darkness and she fought tooth and nail to reach out the familiarity. She called it towards her, her aura pulsing around her and pushing out of the magical sphere. It was only when she felt the aura pulse back that she gave into Magastuhi's pull. It was coming, it had heard her, and it was coming for her.

Shikon rejoiced. She succumbed. But Magastuhi was not done yet.

_Do not think for a moment that I will stay idle. I'll take everything and make you new, little jewel. You will be mine. _

With his last words, she was pierced with what felt like needles. It tempered with her thoughts, her memories, and her soul. She could feel herself fade bit by bit. Every crevice and corner of her spilling into a binding that even she could not break out of.

She reached out. She saw light.

_**Save me.**_

The second Kakashi left the isolation room; Sasuke was on Naruto with an iron grip and the sharingan peering deep into his tinged hues.

"Explain."

Naruto growled, shaking off Sasuke. He glared through at the locked door that Sasuke currently blocked.

"Teme, I'm not playing around any more," Naruto said, his tone growing deeper and feral with every word spat. "Get out of my way or else."

Sasuke stomped on Naruto's threat. "Answer me first."

"There's no time! Why don't you understand?"

"Then make me understand," Sasuke stood straight, forgoing his defensive stance. He placed the kunai he had taken out back into its pouch without breaking eye contact with Naruto. Another silence passed and calls it his greediness of answers or the heart of a friend, but Sasuke was compelled to softly add, "Naruto, let me help you."

Maybe that was what caused Naruto to calm. He stared at Sasuke with wide eyes and for the first time, he didn't feel the streak of competitiveness he always felt when it came to the second heir of the Uchiha clan.

"…Sasuke…" he softly whispered back. Sighing, his body sagged. "I-I don't know. She called to me. That's as good as I can explain it. I felt a pull. Inside me. And I tried to fight it, but I couldn't control myself. So when I gave in, I saw her. And she told me to save her and I know what you're thinking. Me going crazy. You think its Kyuubi, but its not! It's not! He's not harping like he does normally. So it's weird to have him quiet. But, I have to go to her! Understand that much."

His ramble was hard to comprehend. There was so much going on and Sasuke didn't know where to start. It wasn't hard to tell that he was a practical and analytical guy. He liked logic. He liked straightforward answers. And that was not what he was expecting, but since it was Naruto, he should have expected that.

"I knew she wasn't a simple civilian. She must have done something."

"Whatever it is, we can figure that out later. Let me go to her, please."

With that tone and pleading expression, Sasuke couldn't say no, but he wasn't about to let Naruto know he was affected. "Whatever dobe, I just want to know what she is. This has nothing to do with you."

The Uchiha infamous smugness was ever so present. Naruto grinned widely. He took a step forward only to be stopped.

"But," Sasuke added with a stern tone. His sharingan shined brightly. "You'll have to keep it under control. One wrong move, dobe, you're back in here."

"Tch, don't underestimate me, teme."

It didn't take them long to reach the hospital. Being the great jounin's that they were, Sasuke and Naruto hid by a nearby building, one that directly faced the woman's room, with utmost stealth. They would have sneaked in closer, but ANBU had already been stationed; two by the door, and two in the room, just out of sight from the windows.

"Fuck. Why are they there?"

"Don't be stupid. Unknown woman brought into the village while there's a shinobi rivalry going on, of course Hokage would have her on watch."

"But it's just a minor conflict. Not like a war is about to breakout."

Sasuke fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Just shut up." He wondered how great his patience must have been to be able to tolerate seven years of this clown.

Peering into the white room, they noted that only the woman was there along with her two securities. She was now clad in hospital gown, though still unconscious.

Naruto scrunched up his face. "I feel weird."

Casting him a side glace, Sasuke shifted in case he needed to move quick. "You're not turning, are you?"

"No, not turning." He was still uncomfortable. "I don't know what it is." Naruto finally said. "She called out to me, and it's like she still is. I tried to ask Kyuubi, but he's not saying a word."

"Hn," Sasuke pondered, trying to theorise what he was just told. "I'll speak to Ky-"

"NO!" Naruto shouted. Sasuke hissed, slamming the blonde's head down into the safe cover of the building.

"Don't yell, dobe, we could have been caught."

Naruto was about to apologise, but it seemed a certain annoyance had snuck up on them instead.

"Too late for that," it wasn't hard to identify the deep thrumming voice they both knew all too well. Both jounin's stiffened in their crouched position. "…Little brother, Uzumaki."

Turning around slowly, they both looked up the looming dominant figure. Uchiha Itachi was nothing, but intimidating and his presence alone demanded attention and submission. It was just too bad that there was a one-sided brotherly rivalry when it came to Sasuke, and Naruto was apparently spared the obvious intimidation (or he was just too dense and oblivious to lurking danger).

"Itachi." Sasuke growled out, standing up to his full height. His glower only deepened when he still had to look up to the taller Uchiha male.

And Naruto, without a care, stood up with a roll of his eyes. "Teme." He greeted like he usually did.

And of course, Itachi was not fazed, nor bothered. His stoic mask, solemn and refined, betrayed no emotion at all.

"I didn't know you were coming back today." Sasuke sneered.

"An extra week is not needed, I am more than capable in my missions." The bite in that statement alone was enough to have Sasuke riling. Thanks to Naruto's sudden hold of his shoulder, Sasuke held back. For now.

"We were just about to leave. Nice seeing ya, teme."

The two disappeared leaving Itachi alone. He was not so easily fooled. The mangekyou sharingan swirled in his eyes as he ignored the prickling sting that came along with it. He looked into the hospital room. It wasn't hard to miss the blaring ANBU signature, but what housed the room had caught his definitive attention. He didn't see anything worth his time. A civilian with little chakra and by his high standards, pretty useless too. About to jump away, he caught it. From the peripheral of his vision, the slight movement of something other than chakra.

It was raw energy. Directly linked to the soul where most of her essence was found. It was bright pink and while it flowed, it didn't flow freely. Untapped? Hidden? Or maybe sealed?

Head tilted to the side, Itachi let a rare smile spread against his lips.

He wanted to know.

"An enigma, indeed."

Her head hurt.

Groaning she fought against the strain in her muscles and the throbbing pain in her head. She tried to sit up but the burden was too heavy. Her breath laboured, energy already used up, as she tried once again only to fall back onto the soft bedding.

_Where am I? I don't remember anything…_

With a gasp, she reeled back into the soft bed when cool fingers touched her bare arm.

"Don't worry, I'm a medic. Does your head hurt?" The same cool fingers spreading against her forehead with a prickling sting.

Her eyes slowly flickered open to bubble gum pink. She winced.

"Here, let me help you sit up." The woman with pink hair gave her a supporting push on her back. Once seated, she filled a plastic cup with water and plopped in a straw. "I'm Sakura, my teammate found you in a lake. We had to bring you back." Sakura spoke while she helped the woman drink.

Taking in her pale complexion, dark raven hair and pale pink lips, Sakura concluded that despite her natural beauty, her cerulean hues took the cherry of the cake. It was striking, really surprising too.

Bowing her head in thanks, she relaxed against the pillows. "Thank you." She managed to croak out. Just then she noticed the other two people in the same room. Clad in black with silver armour and animal masks, her heart rate picked up in fear.

_What are they? _

"Don't worry about them, they're just on guard. Pretend they're not there" Sakura said, busying her hands with other tasks. "I will be back."

It was easy to say to just ignore the strangers, but hard to do. Her eyes kept going back to them, and the masks that they wore didn't help quell her uneasiness. While in the midst of trying to put on a blind eye towards the mask bearing strangers, her eyes caught something more interesting out the window.

She saw three males conversing. What really intrigued her was the yellow haired male.

Her pulse quickened. She couldn't see his face, but his aura was more than enough to affect her. Like a ghost his aura washed over her and floored her. He seemed familiar, but not. She still couldn't remember anything. Where she was, what she was doing, hoe she ended up here. Apparently she was found in a lake. Did she fall in? Pushed in? Drowning?

Oddly enough, though, there was no surge of panic. Even more odd, there was only loss. An emptiness she could not name.

_Maybe, because I have no memories, I feel…lost?_

Broken out of her thoughts when two of the males she stalked disappear into thin air, her breath got caught in her throat. The one male who styed behind screamed danger, especially when his black eyes suddenly appeared red with three black spots swirling within.

_Red…So much red…_

He looked right through her. It felt like he had stripped away her flesh and was looking into her soul. She noted how he wore the same clothes as the strangers in the room with her. His emotionless face was locked in focus. There were two distinctive wrinkles located diagonally under his eyes- stress? Maybe, but she shook her head of those thoughts. She reprimanded herself. It was no time to worry about his stress level; she still had to figure herself out.

His eyes shifted. And suddenly he was looking right at her. Once again her breath was caught in her throat. Not having any time to comprehend, he too disappeared.

_How odd._

Feeling depleted, she fell back. Getting rid of the red-eyed male form her mind; she put her thoughts on trying to ignore the two standing in the corners, even when though her no longer concerned her at all.

The next time Sakura came, she didn't come alone. Along with her was blonde woman. Her forehead adorned a little diamond and while that was interesting and all, the other male the came also was by far very mysterious. Gravity defying silver hair, with a strange headband covering his left eye and a mask that covered the rest of his face leaving the right eye uncovered- _am I missing out on something? How strange._

"Ah, you're awake." The blonde woman spoke first. "Senju Tsunade, Hokage of Konoha. You are?"

She was confused, but her name came to her by instinct. "…Kagome."

"Just Kagome?"

That took Kagome by surprise. She didn't have an answer. "I…just Kagome…"

Sakura handed Tsunade a clipboard. "You're quite stable for a drowning victim. No water in your lungs, unexplained unconsciousness. Like you were in a coma instead, only underwater." Tsunade said looking over the patient documents.

Kagome flinched at her tone. She wrecked her brain of any memory, anything to help her answer, but her mind was blank.

"Kagome," Sakura started. She stepped forward with a tentative step, a smile on her lips. "Do you know what village you're from?"

"Village? I don't know. I don't know where I am. I don't know what a hokage is, or what Konoha is. " Still, she could not feel the frustration from not having any memory. It was oddly solemn. "I don't remember anything."

Tsunade did not bat an eye.

"Yet you're very calm for a patient with memory loss." She accused, her face was smeared with a mocking frown. When Kagome didn't reply, Tsunade blew a sigh of annoyance. "According to your stats there is no physical damage to your brain. Perhaps is psychological, but we'll have that sorted soon."

Kagome didn't know what she meant, but by the sounds of it, it didn't sound good. At least, not for her.

"The stupid brat brought you in without my permission, so you are currently under strict watch. Hatake here, "She nodded towards the silver-haired male who nodded at her in greeting, "Will be taking care of you. "

Not waiting for Kagome to speak, she turned around and faced the other two.

"Have her ready for Ibiki in the next five minutes. I'm counting on you and the brats, Kakashi." Before stepping out the door, she called out to the other two strangers. "You're both dismissed."

Kagome remained quiet, but tensed. Her body was stiff, not knowing what will happen, or more specifically, to her.

"Kakashi."

"What?" She looked up to the man now standing just a few inches away from her. "You can call me Kakashi."

"But be very careful, he's a pervert." Sakura warned snidely.

She didn't know what to make of that, but she nodded anyway. Especially not when the two males she noticed before came barrelling in through the door.

"And I'm Uzumaki Naruto! The one who saved you!" the blonde exclaimed with a glorifying pose. "And this here is teme!"

The 'teme' brooded with an angry expression.

"Uchiha Sasuke." He bit harshly, still glaring at the exuberant male. But even if he was a bit put off with his stolen introduction, Sasuke had never felt the need to gut his loud teammate as he did at that moment. All the growling and snarls, with his desperate monologue and now this, how anti-climatic.

Kakashi slammed his face into his palm. "You're supposed to be in isolation- Sasuke, I expected you to at least follow orders." Said teen merely huffed.

"Don't worry, pervy-sensei, I've got it under control! Believe it!"

And while it was shocking, it was too much for her to take in, especially when she came out of her supposed coma with no memory. So, Kagome did the only thing could do in that situation-

She passed out.

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews, I appreciate them a hella lot! I hope you enjoyed this chapter!<strong>

**Please Review :P**


	3. Chapter 3

"_**You continue to invade my prison, kit."**_

"_Forgive me, Kyuubi-sama, but please, I have to be here. Mama needs me. Something went wrong and she needs my help"_

"_**The miko, yes?"**_

"_Yes."_

_Kyuubi grumbled about having to be near a miko. Even before his prisoned years, a century at most, he had not encountered a holy being. They had been wiped out, and if he had anything to deduce with the young child pestering him in his little cage, he'd guessed that the wipe out had only affected his world. _

"_**Your mother,"**__ he mocked the word, __**"is human."**_

_The orange-haired child nodded as he looked up to the large youkai with frayed eyes. "She took me in when my ma and pa died. She's really kind, and she doesn't hate me like most of the humans from home do." _

"_**So she does not discriminate, how admirable." **__Kyuubi stared down at the fox kit. He was all whimpers and shivers, and yet, for someone consumed with fear, he was quite adamant. __**"Tell me, boy, how have you come here?"**_

_When the kit didn't reply, he growled growing restless already. It seemed his growl had snapped him back to action. _

"_I…I died. Mama was betrayed by inu-by that idiot traitor. Mama got mad, really mad; I don't think she knew what she was doing. Shikon didn't want to let go of mama, so where she went, they took me also. Midoriko-sama said I have to be with mama because she can't. Mama doesn't remember, if she feels me, she'll remember! And I don't want mama to be sad!"_

"_**Shikon? Midoriko?"**_

"_Mama looks after the Shikon. Midoriko-sama created the shikon- a jewel." He choked out while wiping his tears. _

_Heaving a sigh, Kyuubi dropped his head into his paws in great annoyance. The fates were incredibly hateful. Not only was he wronged and trapped inside a hormonal, and somewhat unkempt, teenage boy, he was now renting his prison with another fox, a spirit at that. Looking him over once more, he patted his orange fur with his larger paw. _

_At least his mortal shell and this new development provided him some entertainment. _

"_**Hush now, boy, no need for tears. What is your name?"**_

"…_.Shippou." _

_Huh? Shippou?_

Naruto blinked once, twice, then thrice. He had sworn he heard another voice, a voice not belonging to the usual grumpy, and manipulative, fox that he currently housed. He had been unusually quiet. Even when Naruto failed to shower for a day, Kyuubi wasn't harping like he usually did about his lack of hygiene, or humans in general. So it was odd, and quite terrifying, to hear a child-like voice instead of the deep gruelling tone he so used to. But then he discarded the idea just as quickly as it came. Instead, he blamed it on the current situation; Sakura freaking out about Kagome knocked out once again and Kakashi grilling him and Sasuke in between Sakura's panic.

So, yes, Naruto decided, it was just a figment of his imagination. There is no way, no fucking way, did he here a child whisper 'Shippou' in his head.

"You're not even fucking listening! Kakashi-sensei, do something!" Sakura was close to giving up life. Or, if she wasn't feeling too much of self-pity, giving up Naruto's life. For the last minute he just stood there frowning and the grinning, and now he was laughing to himself. Even Sasuke, the all mighty Sasuke – in Sakura's vision of course – stepped away from the screw-loosed blonde.

"Sasuke," Kakashi snapped. He pinched the bridge of his nose and prayed everything turned out well or he'd have an angry hokage burying him six-feet under. "Make sure he doesn't cause too much trouble. We'll wake up Kagome first and then head to security division."

If Sasuke's face could show further despair, it would have. _Why do I have to babysit the dobe._

Sakura hastily grabbed the jug of water and flickered some on Kagome's face. After trying many strategies to wake her up, she put her life on this simple method. For once, luck sang for her. Kagome whimpered at the wet drops of water on her face. Her eyes open up to pink once again. And she still winced.

"Sa-Sakura?" Said teen slumped against the bed. Kakashi visibly sighed, and Naruto and Sasuke silently witnessed uncaringly.

"Sorry, Kagome, but we have to go. You're up for interrogation and I know this is too soon, but Hokage's orders."

Kagome nodded. "I understand." She didn't, but she followed anyway. If there was anyway she'd get her memories back, it'll have to be through these people's help- prisoner or not.

The interrogation room was just as she had suspected. Small, cold, and only a table and two chairs slapped right in the centre. She stepped forward, leaving team seven behind at the room threshold. The loud slam of the door shutting jolted her to move away. Taking a deep breath, Kagome took a seat.

She didn't have to wait long for the person interrogating her to come. One look at him and Kagome new why this man was the interrogator. He was tall, intimidatingly tall. Two scars ran down his face and she wondered how he'd gotten that. Like Kakashi, though, he adorned the same headband with the strange symbol, only his was properly wrapped around his forehead.

"Look who finally showed up," he intoned deeply with fake cheer. "Morino Ibiki." He greeted with a nod of his head.

Kagome nodded back. "Kagome."

"Just Kagome?" Ibiki shot back, taking a seat opposite her and slamming down a notepad. Said woman let a smile slip out at that. Tsunade had asked the same thing in the same doubtful tone. And she replied with the same answer.

"Just Kagome."

Ibiki nodded. He shuffled the papers for a bit before settling it down and squaring her with a serious stare.

"Found drowning in the lake, but the victim herself shows no sign of drowning. Coincidence? I think not. Care to explain?"

"I don't know." She said, again not bothered of how much she didn't know. Contradicting that she did want to know about her lost memories, but the emotion itself had yet to make itself known. And she could have told that to Ibiki, but she decided against it. The statement itself confused her, and if she relayed the same to Ibiki, Kagome just knew that she was digging her own grave.

Ibiki faked a gasp of surprise. "Ah, yes, the supposed memory loss. How terrible."

While the frustration of not knowing didn't come out, she did feel the bite of his dramatics and sarcasm.

"Now, Kagome, frankly speaking" he warned, "You appear while in the midst of a conflict. Protocol demands absolute security to unknown newcomers into this village, I mean, you don't know when enemy spies are lurking around and right now, we're going to assume you are exactly that."

Kagome's outer appearance seemed calm and collected. Inside, however, she was anything but that. From what senses were left within her, she knew for a fact that enemy spies were tortured. And she did not want to be tortured. At all. No way. So why couldn't she force a reasonable and believable answer just to sate the man before her. They've barely conversed and it was already looking bad for her.

"I understand, but-"

"But isn't good enough. Shinobi are the ones we're on the look out for, but we're not so stupid to rule out civilians like you. They can also make themselves useful."

By then Ibiki had already lost Kagome.

_Shinobi?_

"Yes, shinobi. You are in a shinobi village." Kagome did not know she had spoken her thought out aloud, so hearing Ibiki's reply had flabbergasted her.

Maybe the situation hadn't exactly dawned onto her before, because now, right at that moment, Kagome was staring to realise her predicament.

No memory at all apart from her name. No hometown, background, people- just a name. And apparently she was in a shinobi village during a conflict. The possibilities of her upcoming outcome were endless, and majority of them didn't end so well.

What if she was spy?

What if she was on her way here to infiltrate and played the role of a damsel in distress drowning to get a ticket in?

But even if that was true, where did her memory go?

She could just be a victim caught between the throws of conflict and left to die. But apparently she wasn't drowning even if physically she was found drowning.

Her head hurt. Again.

"You look surprised."

"That's because I am!" She finally snapped. "Shinobi? I can't stress it enough. I don't know where I am. I don't know who I am, what status I hold or anything. Apart form my name, you're getting nothing else because I don't know!" She didn't give Ibiki a chance to speak. "Drowning but not drowning? That makes no sense. All I know is that I woke up in a hospital, a village that I don't know- even heard of! I don't know what more to tell you."

"So is that your story?"

She felt like she had just been slapped. Sure she was unnaturally unaffected before, but now when she genuinely confused, Ibiki decided she was a fake.

"I've interrogated many shinobis. Civilians also. Most were like you, they _didn't know_," he mocked. Leaning back in his chair, Ibiki pulled out a cigarette and lighter, and lit it up. He took a long drag and then blew it just to the left of Kagome, the smoke just missing her face. "There are other ways of getting information. I'm sure you've heard of the Yamanaka clan, they're skilled in telepathy. It's quite a painful process; I can vouch for that personally." He threatened with another drag of his cigarette. "Being shinobi's we're not limited in our methods. The Uchiha prodigy masters in the art of mental abuse- quite the nasty kekkei genkai if you ask me. So let me tell you, _Ka-go-me_, if we have to resort to barbaric tactics," He leaned closer for good measures, "We will."

Loss for words, she could do nothing but release a breath of resignation.

"If," she began softly, "There is a way to penetrate my memories, I will accept it. I stand by my words. I do not know."

"Oh?" Ibiki raised a brow. "It makes me wonder if you have another trick up your sleeve."

Kagome shook her head. "Of course not! I would never!" and then she realised that in her current position, she may have defended herself too soon. "Please…"

Ibiki snorted. Pleading eyes on the verge did not affect him, but he relented anyway. "For your sake I hope you're telling the truth."

He got up from his seat not waiting for Kagome to relay her thanks. Slamming the door open, he howled before walking off. "Call for Yamanaka, we have a rat to pry."

Kakashi, who stood just outside the interrogation room – and the only one who was allowed to come that far – winced? He was glad that Nartuo was far away, because something told him that hearing Kagome called a rat would have let hell loose.

His eyes slid towards the trembling woman inside the room. He had a strong sense of protectiveness, and since Nartuo fell under his supervision, he could not ignore just how much this woman affected Naruto.

"What are you hiding?" he whispered, eyes darkening. "Why Naruto?"

And Kakashi knew that if anything ever happened to Naruto, he wouldn't hesitate decapitating the mystery woman inside the interrogation room.

The next few hours were relentless. For Kagome and for her interrogators.

Yamanaka's forceful intrusion into her brain resulted in nothing.

Kagome's mind was blank. Simple as that.

Hyuuga's attempt to recognizing her

While Ibiki played with the idea of calling Itachi, it was shot down before it even passed his lips. Tsunade was livid. Itachi was already hanging between sanity and insanity and she didn't want him going on a blood rage. He was a valuable asset to the village and was not going to be used at the expense of a stranger.

So they went with the manual physical torture and what they found was gold. During the first few minutes of her interrogation, having being chained and thrown onto the hard floor, Kagome took her blows to the flesh and reacted like any human- She screamed and whimpered and cried for mercy.

But, when she reached a point of passing out, her interrogators had no time to react.

Pink shot out of her body and threw the two occupants in the room against the wall with a hard thud.

"What," Tsunade heaved, "was that?"

Ibiki staggered up to his feet, using the wall as his support. "I don't know." And despite his aching foot, he found it amusing how he was saying the exact words Kagome pleaded with just moments before.

Taking a step forward, he was once again thrown back and this time, Tsunade broke his fall. Getting up to try getting closer again, Tsunade held him back.

"Wait," her eyes narrowed towards Kagome. She was unconscious, but her body moved at its own accord, and whatever it was she had was protecting her.

She acquiesced. "Chances are she was telling the truth. Lets say she's a runaway, fought some rouges and, I don't know, fell into a lake. So, this, I don't know, weird power of hers acts up and saves her from drowning until someone could save her. So Naruto, master of attracting the tragic, just happens to find her. Kekkei genkai perhaps?"

Ibiki doubted. It was too much of a conscience and far fetched in itself. Still, in his level of experience and years spent as a shinobi, he had learnt to expect the unexpected. And this was definitely the unexpected. But it didn't mean he had to like it. Or accept it.

"Perhaps." He softly agreed, though reluctant. "Or there is someone behind this manipulating her like a doll and baiting us into a trap." Ibiki didn't stop there. "Or it could be a farce to get into Konoha during a critical conflict between enemy hidden villages, and Naruto, also master of being a nit witted simpleton, lacked prudence and gave this woman a free ticket into the village. She could be trained into handling physical torture"

Tsunade growled. "According to report, she called out to him".

Ibiki snorted. "Yes, well, why don't we label her as a siren of the land with shooting pink lights of disaster."

Tsunade ignored his scrutiny. "I want to investigate this further. She'll stay under team seven's watch."

Startled, Ibiki refuted. "What? No!" He retorted with a vibrating tremor. "You said Naruto was affected. We can not risk it."

The busty woman sighed. "Jiraiya will check the seal. Naruto himself says he has it under control. He may be foolish, but I trust him when he says he has Kyuubi under control."

Ibiki wasn't convinced.

So she continued her argument even though, as hokage, she didn't really need to.

"Kakashi will be there."

"If she relapses in public? In case you have forgotten, we did just physically torture her for answers that possibly weren't there to begin with."

She reiterated. "Kakashi _will _be there. Plus, it seems she has to be unconscious to activate it."

Ibiki refused to relent. "You know as well I that the council will not be happy with this."

"The council's opinions do not matter. They needed a hokage they got a hokage. It's a bunch of old civilians and their narrow-minded thinking. They're just advisors. _My_ word is law."

And she was right. The village council was just another thorn on the side looking for a way to gain substantial authority.

"…And what of Danzo?" Ibiki spat, venom dripping of that treacherous name.

"He will not know."

"You can't assure that! It will put the village at risk. We don't know anything about her, or this strange kekkei genkai. It could be a trap! This is stupidity! "

"Careful, Morino, you're speaking to your hokage. Pass her interrogation; she's just a traveller seeking refuge. We'll Issue her a temporary citizenship."

Said man sneered at the busty blonde.

"Interrogations over, _hokage-sama._"

He carefully walked towards the door, making sure not to get within Kagome's radius of defence.

Tsunade slid down to the ground. She may not be the leader the council wanted, but she was the best they got. Her methods may be different, and not overly acceptable, but she did her job and kept the people of her village safe from harm. So what she was doing now was a huge gamble. And if it went wrong, she might as well release Kyuubi from its seal and let it devour her whole. But Tsunade trusted her gut, and her gut told her that this strange woman was undeniably trouble, no doubt dangerous even, but not for them. Not for her, or her people of Konohagakure, and especially not for Naruto. Who knew, maybe she could be some form of help in disguise.

Her eyes widened when that same pink glow soothed over Kagome's body, repairing her scarred flesh leaving not a single scar in sight.

Exhausted and depleted of every ounce of energy in her body, Sakura dragged herself from her door and plopped onto the nearby couch. She had her ears open for a shuffling mother or maybe an annoying little brother, but found the house oddly quiet. Peering at a nearby clock, she rolled her eyes.

"Of course it's quiet, it's past midnight."

Dragging her heavy feet to her room, her hands busied on stripping away her clothes until she reached one of her hidden pockets. "Huh?"

Digging her hand in she pulled out the scroll she found. "Oh, the tragic lady." Walking over to her bookshelf, she made some space between books and gingerly stuffed the scroll between the stacks.

"Perfect. Now sleep!"

* * *

><p><strong>Thank you for the reviews! I enjoyed reading them. Sorry for any grammatical mistakes and I hope you like this chapter!<br>****I wanted to write more and include a part where Kagome and Itachi finally meet, buuuut it just seemed a good place to end it. So, stay tuned for the next chapter, hopefully i'll get it done within a week!**

**Please Review :)**


End file.
